Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
- Start date
-
- Tags
- club thunderbird
My mistake- it's a Sunn Sorado... straight-up 215 Dually-looking box with round tube ports midway between the drivers.
Here:
Look close and you'll see the ports... not a folded horn like the 200s.
Hi All: I got an offer for my band to play a Wild Wing Cafe for 3 hours (three 45-min sets). The manager asked what we charge. ??? 
What is a reasonable fee for a new band with no following that wants to make friends with the establishment? Thank you
What is a reasonable fee for a new band with no following that wants to make friends with the establishment? Thank you
That drummer's a powerhouse!
Hi All: I got an offer for my band to play a Wild Wing Cafe for 3 hours (three 45-min sets). The manager asked what we charge. ???
What is a reasonable fee for a new band with no following that wants to make friends with the establishment? Thank you
For me, not knowing what the going rates are, would look for the amount per member to make it a worthwhile venture. I certainly wouldn't play "for the exposure", also known as free but at the same time knowing that you're not putting asses in the seats is important to be honest about.
Having said all this, figure out what 5 hours of your time is worth to you and multiply it by the number of bandmates and see if it sounds reasonable.
Well... just an idea... since this is you first gig with them, and since you're not an established band... it could be advantageous to comp the gig (ONLY the first gig).Hi All: I got an offer for my band to play a Wild Wing Cafe for 3 hours (three 45-min sets). The manager asked what we charge. ???
What is a reasonable fee for a new band with no following that wants to make friends with the establishment? Thank you
Minimum food and booze?
Not a bad method, but the key is the last five words "see if it sounds reasonable".
When I was still working and gigging (retired from both) my day time job was worth about $150/hr after taxes. No way I could have asked that on a bar or grub house gig for just me not including the other 3 or 4 players. Figure about 2 and a quarter hours of play time plus three quarters of an hour total for set up and tear down. So that's about 3 hours of work. Being a grub house, the band isn't typically the key factor bringing business in the door, but if you're band is decent it will help the venues bottom line, which is a good thing for the owner.
My advice, don't play for free and don't pay to play. Always ask that the band be provided free non acholic drinks and maybe a complementary first round from the bar. Since it's a grub house it would be nice if they provided a free meal as well. As for actual cash payment, Larry is spot on - it has to be reasonable. Not knowing anything about your band (type of music you play, quality, number of band members, one time gig or standing schedule, etc) it's hard to say what that right number is. But for a beginning band with a one time gig in a grub setting it would be pretty cool for each member to walk out the door with $100 cash in hand (I've played for a lot less than that). YMMV
Back in the mid '90s, we were getting free drinks and a whoppin' $250-$300 a night in the northern Michigan dive bar circuit...
300 for the whole band?
This is a really good subject. I remember folks paying for their mortgages in FL in the 80s as full time players. Of course for many gigs such as the bigger hotels and venues you needed a MU card. FL is cool this way in that lots revolves around the tourist industry so contractually these venues HAVE to have a band. That said, you are under contract so you have to dress appropriately and in some cases fill out a form of what songs you cover for issues of royalties.
A lot also depends on the local going rates and competition. Getting 100/player in New England is common since the competition is not that of California for example.
Europe is the best place for pro live music. I played 6 nights a week (and a Sunday afternoon beach gig) at the Costa del Sol for 6 years. We played at a place called "The Navy Bar" in Marbella and compensation was 100 dollars a player per night, free accommodation and meal tickets. The only place where I have seen this regularly in the US is Vegas.
We played four 30 minute sets. Started at 12:00PM when the venue was empty (crazy!) and went back and forth with the DJ until we were done at 3:30!
IMHO 50 to 80 dollars a man plus food is what you should ask for three 45s.
... and the sound guy... and our "manager"... yes. Food and fuel to get us to the next gig. it was a lotta fun, until it wasn't...
My experience is that bar gigs are on a completely different pay structure than grub house gigs. Many grub houses don't have a dedicated stage area or sound system support if needed. The space the band takes up in some cases even displaces tables of paying customers. These types of venues have a tendency to not pay much. Then there's the draw, unless it's a food plus bar establishment or a dinner and performance venue the band isn't typically the big draw for the owner.
Conversely, in a bar setting it's all about how many butts you can get in the door and keep there while they run up large bar tabs. Dancing brings the girls, which in turn brings the guys in. The more the girls like the music the longer they'll stay and the more they and the guys will drink. At a number of places I've played the band was expected to have a following that would more or less guarantee a certain number of butts beyond their non entertainment hours. My bar gigs always paid much higher than my grub gigs. The grub exception being those venues that had a dedicated stage and some form of entertainment (music, comedy...) that was part of the expected overall experience during dinner. Those paid very well, but you really had to have a name to get booked in one. Again YMMV.
Our Portuguese band did a good number of dinner/dance banquet type gigs. Those paid very well, and New Years was the motherlode.
Duo and watering hole rock gigs buy gas and lunchbox goodies for the week.
Last edited:
Zone gas? What's that?
I assumed "zone" meant "some".
Gotta love that auto correct.
Totally with you. Portuguese, Italians and the like pay dearly for live music. Italian wedding bands make bank.
When everyone is sloshed and you are done with your sets, they come up (usually the father of the bride starts it) and pay astronomical amounts for another set or just more songs. I've walked out with over a grand in pocket on occasion.
You ever play the Fall River/New Bedford Portuguese circuit?
